Chasing Butterflies
by Pazel
Summary: Spoilers, so summary inside! If you are not up to date on the manga, you may not want to read this. Rated T for language. RxR, please. This is a sort of new idea on my part in the way of the plots and such, so I would really enjoy feedback.
1. Hospital

Summary:

_Enter the Host Club in the middle of dissolution. Enter one American-born Italian heiress Annabelle De Luca, whose sole purpose is to piss off her conservative great aunts. Enter two mischievous twins, prone to homosexuality to please the ladies. Enter Sophie, Anna's commoner best friend, with a personality in stark contrast to hers. Enter Tamaki, the fiancé of said heiress. Enter the greatest scheme ever. Enter Kaoru's point of view on the entire thing, which brings along insight and confusion to a situation he could never fully explain even if he wanted to.  
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* * *

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Guilt. It's the worst feeling one could ever have, and once it has taken over you completely, it can leave you breathless and suffocated for relief of the horror of knowing it was all your fault.

"Kaoru, please come with us back to Ouran," Haruhi pleaded with me. Her voice was very gentle as she knelt by me at the side of the hospital bed.

I held onto my brother's limp hand. It had been six days since he had slipped into this coma, and there was no promise that he would regain consciousness any time soon. Kyoya-senpai's entire hospital staff was watching over him day in and day out, but even the best of the best in all of the medical field said that only time would tell.

My mother nodded her head. "It would be the best thing," she told me, "for you to get back to normal."

I looked around the room to see the hosts, each with the same facial expression of hopelessness and loss. There was nothing I could say. I had never felt so alone before. It was as if I had been placed in a dark, cold space all by myself. I felt as if I could run and run forever, and I would see nothing but blackness. The feeling of despair crawled up my back, and I couldn't breathe. "If Hikaru wakes up," I whispered, causing Haruhi to lean in just so she could make out my words, "he'll want me to be here." I started to cry, although I did not know the reason for it. "Where is she?" I cried out. I banged my fists on the bed. "Damn it! Why isn't she here?"

Tamaki-senpai raced out of the room, and Kyoya followed him at a much slower pace. Immediately, Hani-senpai broke into large tears, and even Haruhi could not hold back. Mori-senpai patted Hani-senpai's head, and I saw one single tear fall from the side of his eye.

The heart monitor beeped regularly.

From the hallway, I heard Tamaki-senpai yelling. His voice cracked with every word; I could hear his tears in his voice.

"Why isn't Hikaru awake yet?" his muffled voice floated in from under the door.

Kyoya answered lowly, and I could not hear his exact words.

"Call Anna! Kaoru wants to see her!"

There was another low answer, and Tamaki-senpai was silent.

The two walked back in. Tamaki-senpai was teary-eyed, but Kyoya's were clear.

"-best doctors watching him," Kyoya-senpai was saying as they walked in. "We need to be patient."

Upon seeing Tamaki-senpai's face, the entire room seemed to calm down. It was as if simply seeing him was enough to give us the strength we needed to carry our heaviest burdens. It must have been unfair, for who did he have to help him?

Kyoya-senpai came over to me and put his hand on my shoulder. He leaned down and whispered into my ear, "Anna is home, in America. Her mother is sick at the moment. We don't want her to know about Hikaru's accident until her mother is better. You'll do nothing but upset her. You don't want that, do you?"

I shook my head.

"At the moment, her mother has the flu, and she's at home taking care of her, which was why she left Japan in the first place."

I flinched at the tought.

Haruhi patted my back.

"What will you choose, Kao-chan?" Hani-senpai asked me.

I looked at everyone in the room. Each person was staring at me, waiting. I looked over at Haruhi, who gave me a little reassuring smile.

"I-" I took a deep breath to calm my voice. "I will return to Ouran."

This put a relieved smile on everyone's face but my own. Tamaki-senpai and Haruhi both seemed to understand my feelings, and their faces turned worried. Tamaki-senpai looked to Haruhi, who had turned to Hikaru. I could not read her expression; it was neither sad, worried, nor something else far beyond those two, and far more intense than them. Her eyes read a look of devastation, although her face was completely calm. A little movement of her head caused the sun to reflect off of her grandfather's old glasses and block her eyes.

The heart monitor beeped regularly.

We went to school, and soon a week had gone by, and then two. It was last period on Tuesday of the third week, and I was silent, staring at Hikaru's empty seat, when one of the school nurses rushed in. "Kaoru!" she yelled frantically. "Please come quickly!"

I stood up, knocking my seat over, and ran after the nurse.

"Your brother is-" It was as if she paused for dramatic effect here, putting me in a misery beyond comprehension. "-awake!" she exclaimed. "Your ride is here to take you immediately to the hospital. Your friends will be coming later, as well."

I went straight to the hospital with an escort from the police, and got there in record time. I ran into the building and up the stairs, too impatient to wait for the elevator.

"Hikaru!" I screamed as I flung the door open.

Hikaru looked up at me. I couldn't help but notice how strange he looked wearing clothes in bed.

Then, I noticed the look in his eyes.

It terrified me.

"Who- who are you?" he asked me. "And where's Kaoru?"

"Hikaru," I began uneasily, "what are you talking about? I'm Kaoru!"

"You've been in a coma," our mother said.

"F-for how long?"

"About three weeks."

"That... isn't possible!" Hikaru screamed. "How can Kaoru look so different if it was only three weeks!"

I felt trapped and confused. "What are you talking about, Hikaru?"

"E-everyone out!" he screamed. "Except for Kaoru, everyone out! Everyone out! Everyone out!" he chanted.

When we were alone, he beckoned me to him.

"How old am I?"

"Fifteen."

He shook his head. "That's just not possible."

"Why, Hikaru?"

"We're thirteen."

"What?"

"Isn't it just yesterday that that Suoh guy first approached us to join some club? It just happened, right?"

"No, Hikaru. We're first years, now."

"No!" he yelled, putting his hands over his ears.

I placed my hands on his arms. "It's ok. We'll figure this out together."

He teared up, and his arms dropped slowly. "What have I lost?"

"We joined his club."

"What?" he exclaimed, as if that were the dumbest thing in the world. "Why?"

"He told us apart."

"What was his reason?"

"Intuition, I think it was."

"That's not fair."

"We have friends," I told him, trying to change the subject. "We're friends with Kyoya-senpai, and Hani-senpai, and Mori-senpai, and Har- Oh, you won't remember her."

"Who?"

"Haruhi."

"Who's Haruhi?"

"A very important girl to you. You're fighting Tono for her, but she's in love with him. You won't remember your love for her right away."

"Why would I love her?" he mumbled.

"She can tell us apart."

"His reason?"

"She knows our differences."

He sat up straight. "Impossible."

"That's what we both thought, but it's true."

"Do you love her?"

I smiled. "I did."

He looked down into his hands. "Why don't you anymore?"

"There's someone else."

"Who?"

"You'll see, when she comes back from America. Just promise me-"

* * *

Sorry for the short chapter! There's more to come, I promise.


	2. Amnesia

Love. Everyone, at least once in their life, feels a love that has the power to destroy them within their heart. If the love were to disappear, they would disappear, as well. If that love were to prosper, they would prosper. When that love is interrupted, then their entire life is interrupted, and for that time, nothing seems right, and chaos becomes their world. I had that love. It was for my brother.

Within the hour, the entire Host Club was packed into the room.

"He got everyone to join?" Hikaru breathed in amazement. "Ootori-senpai, too?"

Kyoya-senpai looked startled at being called that by Hikaru. "It can't be," he said.

"Hikaru!" Tamaki-senpai and Hani-senpai yelled in unison. They threw themselves on top of Hikaru, sobbing.

"We're so happy you're ok!" Hani-senpai cried.

Hikaru wiggled underneath them. "What? Get off! Get off of me!" He flung them off of him. Hani-senpai landed gracefully, but Tamaki-senpai hit the wall.

Tamaki-senpai pointed to Hikaru. "Hey! What's wrong with you, Hikaru? Why are you being so mean?"

"I barely even know you!" Hikaru barked. "Why are you all over me, Suoh-senpai?"

Tamaki-senpai smiled hollowly. "W-what are you talking about, Hikaru?"

"It appears," Kyoya-senapi began, "that Hikaru has lost all of his memories from the past two and a half years."

Tamaki-senpia turned to him. "B-but that's impossible! That means he's forgotten the Host Club! That means he's forgotten-" he turned to Haruhi, who was staring at the floor, "Haruhi."

"Nah," Hikaru interrupted. "Kaoru told me about her. I'm supposed to be nice to you, so I guess I'll have to be. You're apparently very special to us." He smiled a little, but Haruhi did not even react to his words. She just stared at the ground, silently.

Hikaru frowned, displeased. He looked up at me with an annoyed expression, and I just held up my hand, begging him to have patience.

"Why are you so depressed, huh?" he asked with a sigh. "Just because _I _don't remember you? Don't let it bother you too much. Kaoru remembers you, so it's the same thing."

I flinched, and my heart sank. He had erased all of our progress. He probably had no idea that his hair was brown. Even Haruhi remained silent. I had expected a lecture on how Hikaru and I were two separate people, but I don't think she could even put together the words.

A nurse came in, and jumped. "W-what are you all doing here? Oh, you'll all have to get out, immediately!"

"What?" Hikaru yelled. "Why?"

"Having so many people could sharply affect your progress! Please," she begged, pulling me out of the room, "you must all go. Now!"

I was pulled out of the room and Hikaru screamed my name.

When she let go, I turned to her. "No, I want to be with Hikaru!" I screamed at her.

"Kaoru!" Tamaki-senpai scolded. "Mind your manners!"

I looked at the ground. "I want to be with Hikaru." I turned and ran right into the men's bathroom. I leaned against the sinks, trying to catch my breath and hold back my tears.

I didn't expect her to follow me, but there was a movement from the corner of my eye, and I turned to see Haruhi. I could also hear Tamaki-senpai flipping out over the fact that Haruhi went into the boy's bathroom.

"Kaoru," she began. Her voice was unsure and slow, but the look on her face was determined. "Hikaru is ok. That's what's important. If we have to start over, we will. But he will be Hikaru Hitachiin again."

Her sureness made me smile. She held out her hand, and I took it.

She was gaining too many of Tono's qualities.

Then, there was a loud outbreak from outside. Haruhi and I looked at each other, and walked out to see what had happened.

Anna was arguing with the nurse who was watching over Hikaru's room. She tensed, and literally flung the nurse to the side and ran into the room. She was followed by her best friend, Sophie, who was apologizing to the assaulted nurse.

I grinned.

Next to me, Haruhi sighed. "They're back." Her relieved tone betrayed her feigned annoyance.

* * *

_**TWO MONTHS EARLIER**_

Haruhi brushed past Tono, her grandfather's glasses hiding her eyes. About twelve streps past him, a loud yell made everyone turn.

"Ta~ma~ki~!"

Up ran a girl with long brown hair and a dark red headband that clashed with her yellow uniform.

I did not know the girl, but Kyoya-senpai's little smirk told me that he did.

The girl ran straight into Tamaki-senpai's arms. Another girl stopped right next to me.

"Anna," Tamaki-senpai began with a little laugh, "what are you doing here?"

"Anna-chan just wanted to see her Tamaki-kun!"explained the girl in Tamaki-senpai's arms.

I had hardly enough time to make a sarcastic comment on her speech pattern when Tamaki-senpai's expression changed considerably. His eyes darted up, the immediately back down. The girl put her finger to her lips, and he nodded gently.

Suddenly, Tamaki-senpai's grandmother rounded the corner and walked up to them. "Come, Annabelle," she commanded.

"Oh, please, grandmother! Allow Anna-chan to spend some time with her Tamaki-kun!"

The old woman pondered this and nodded. "I'll allow it." She continued to walk on, not noticing Haruhi because of her unusual garb, and passed by her in silence.

Anna and Tamaki-senpai stared into each other's eyes. When Tamaki-senpai's grandmother had disappeared, and three or so minutes had gone by, Anna snorted.

"It's been so long since I've had to do that!" she exclaimed with a giggle.

Tamaki-senpai smiled nervously.

"What's wrong, Tamaki? I promise you that you won't get in trouble. Don't you believe me?" she asked, patting his shoulder.

"That's not the problem," Tamaki-senpai answered sadly. "I don't want to lie to grandmother! This love is a lie."

"That's not true, Tamaki. I love you a lot. We're just playing it off as a different kind of love. That way, we can call off this engagement with no hard feelings when we find the people we really want to love. You~ owe~ me~," she sang.

Tamaki-senapi's smile gained confidence. "Ok, you're right."

"Uhm, I'm sorry to interrupt, but who _are _you?" Haruhi asked.

"I'm Tamaki's fiancé," she explained.

Haruhi blanched.

"Oh, but it's not like that!" Tamaki-senpai exclaimed. "We're just playing, Haruhi! See, we set this up where we, and then it'll be easier, and..."

Anna laughed. "Before Tamaki left France- I was living there at the time- I confided with him that I was going to be forced into an engagement with a stranger. Like the knight in shining armor that he is, he offered to marry me. But, that didn't help, you know. I mean, Tamaki, you're great and all, but you're so _boring, _you know?"

Tamaki-senpai was still confused.

"Anyway," Anna continued, "we set up an engagement that suited our families, and we're putting off the marriage as long as possible until we fall in love with someone, then we can break the engagement, and neither of us will be hurt or rushed. What'd'ya think, huh?"

Hikaru and I shrugged. "This wasn't Tono's idea, was it?"

She jumped suddenly. "Oh! The reason I'm here!"

"Yes, what is it?" Hikaru and I asked simultaneously.

"Your grandmother wants us married as soon as possible!"

Tamaki-snpai and Haruhi gasped. "That can't happen!"

Anna giggled. "I'm joking, I'm joking. Calm your asses down, ok?" She turned to Kyoya-senpai and pointed at him. "You, Kyoya Ootori! Find me a husband!"

He raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"That's not important! Here are my qualifications: shorter than me. As dark skinned as possible. Hell, maybe even a girl, or gay. Be sure they're not politically correct, a delinquent, and make sure they're not Catholic."

"Those are awfully strange qualifications," Kyoya-senpai remarked.

"Yeah," Hikaru said.

"Trying to piss off your family, or something?" I finished.

Anna blushed. "You're sharp." She turned to Kyoya-senpai. "Now, find them!"

Kyoya-senpai laughed and pushed his glasses up. "As you wish, madam."


	3. Date

The next day, I was approached by Kyoya-senpai in class. He nodded to everyone who waved to him, but gave them no invitation of speaking to him further. It was a rare visit, and I knew exactly what he wanted from me. I put my hand on Hikaru's shoulder, indicating that I would be back, and I walked over to Kyoya-senpai, who led me out of the room.

"I'm sure you know what I'm calling you here for," he began.

I nodded.

"When going through Anna-san's requirements, I realized something. All lesbains go to Lobelia and are infatuated with the Zuka Club. Any homosexual males would cut off their hands before agreeing to something like this. She has the darkest skin, being so Italian in Japan. A delinquent may place her in trouble," he looked through the door at a mafia boss' son. "You, however, are loud, rude, about her height, and not at all religious. Hikaru fits her qualifications better, but I didn't suppose you'd allow him to be her false husband. You were always more selfless than him."

"But why are we doing this anyway?"

"She and Tamaki are engaged. To break it off, she must seem in love with another. Her protective family will be outraged, and order the marriage on hold. You will be a bachelor for possibly one year maximum if you do indeed agree to this. If you do not, Haruhi, Tamaki, Anna-san, and Hikaru will be hurt. Hikaru will see Haruhi lose Tamaki, and he would never be able to ask her out again. He'll lose her to no one. There will be no game; but there will be a loser. We will all lose. And you love Haruhi still, do you not?" Kyoya-senpai looked through the door to her. "How will she feel? You should be able to tell her feelings for Tamaki."

I frowned, losing my temper. "Am I the sacrificial lamb?"

Kyoya was silent.

I looked at the ground. It was not I, I realized, that was the sacrifice, but Anna. She was the one who was throwing away any and all chances of happiness. I could reject this offer, and everyone would be hurt. Kyoya-senpai could get someone else, but did we really trust them? Who would go for this scheme other than someone with something to lose from its failure? I looked at Hikaru, who was laughing with Haruhi, and I knew I had no choice. Maybe we could figure something later.

"Ok."

Kyoya-senpai smiled. "Good."

**--**

"This is Kaoru Hitachiin, Anna-san," Kyoya-senpai said to her after school.

We had waited until Tamaki-senpai had gone home. If he had known about my sacrifice, he would never have agreed to it. Hikaru was with Haruhi cleaning the class.

"He looks as plain as he did the moment I met him," Anna replied, unsatisfied.

Kyoya-senpai pushed up his glasses. "This is the best we could do to satisfy your requirements. Or, do you think he's ugly?"

Anna blushed. "No, that's not it, I swear!" She sighed. "I didn't mean that. I'm sorry, Kaoru."

I smiled sadly. "It's ok."

"Well, I have rented out the amusement park for the two of you. You can have a private day alone, while also having fun," Kyoya-senpai said.

"Rented?" I asked flatly. "Isn't that a little much?"

"No- Anna-san, what is it?"

I looked to Anna. Her jaw had dropped, and she was silent.

"R-rented?" she squeaked. "The entire amusement park?"

Kyoya-senpai nodded. "You seem surprised, when you have probably double the amount of money my family does."

"Daddy's frugal," she stated. "I'm not allowed any big, unnecessary buys. He says it's a waste." She shrugged.

Kyoya-senpai smiled darkly.

I narrowed my eyes at him. Anna just grinned, and something about that made me very suspicious.

**--**

We went to the amusement park later that week. I left before Hikaru woke up and ignored his frantic calls throughout the day.

Anna was there in a light pink shirt whose shoulders came down to reveal her bra straps and came up high enough to reveal her bellybutton. She wore a short tennis skirt and wedge sandals. Her purse was large, leather, and expensive. I noticed the brand name designers of all the clothes she wore. They were nothing cheap, and I began to question her earlier statement of frugality. The look on her face told me she was uncomfortable, but I would have been uncomfortable in something that skimpy, too.

I walked over to her in colorful layered wifebeaters and baggy jeans. I felt severely under dressed, or strangely dressed at the least.

She smiled a little, but her cheeks were red. She eyed me and frowned.

"What?"

"Nothing," she mumbled.

I sighed. "It's something. Just tell me."

"Kyoya said he'd dress you, too!"

I narrowed my eyes. "What?"

"He made me put on these ridiculous... pieces of clothes! He said you'd be dressed the same. But... not in a skirt, he said. Or something like that."

"So, you're not usually so skimpy?"

"Never!" She laughed. "Once, when I was younger, of course, and tried hard to fit in, I left in a skirt a little longer than this one, and my dad-" she stopped talking to laugh, "gave me one look and said, 'put on the rest of your clothes before you go outside!'" She coughed. "It was in Italian, of course. He doesn't speak Japanese at home, out, or anywhere other than work. He thinks it's funny for everyone to think he's a tourist who doesn't know the language."

I laughed at her impression of her father. It was deep and thickly accented. "Really?"

We began to walk. She nodded, and I noticed she held down her skirt.

We went on ride after ride, and even after I figured she would have thrown her guts up, she demanded we go on another. I smiled.

After one ride, we had to sit down.

"You're tenacious," I said as she held back vomit.

"So I've been told," she said.

"You shouldn't have eaten before that ride."

"I'm ok, I'm ok!" she insisted, standing up. "No, I'm not."

I laughed as she sat back down.

"Don't laugh at me," she growled.

"I'm not."

"Mmm."

We decided to go home, and got in the car.

We almost made it home before she threw up cotton candy out the window.


	4. Lunch Time

"Why- why didn't you return any of my calls?" Hikaru screamed when I walked through the door.

"I was on a date," I answered nonchalantly. Luckily, I had dropped Anna off at home before returning to the Hitachiin mansion.

"So you couldn't answer me? Do you know how worried I was? I called everyone- everyone! Kyoya-senpai finally gave me a hint and told me that you were out with Anna at some amusement park. Are you crazy? Are you really going to do that?"

I shrugged and walked to the staircase.

Hikaru grabbed my shoulder and turned me around. "Don't just brush me off, Kaoru!"

I smiled at him. "Don't worry, Hikaru. You've got it all wrong."

Hikaru looked surprised. "What? Do you... like her?"

**--**

The next day at school was when I found out that Anna was a grade older than me. I had hoped she would be in my class, but that was impossible.

I spent the next few classes doodling until lunch. I raced ahead of Hikaru, and I felt a bad cloud covering him.

He could deal with it.

She was already sitting down, laughing with a few classmates. When she saw me, she beckoned for me to come over.

I leaned against the table. "Hey," I said coolly.

"Hi," she replied, not looking at me. I followed her eyes to Haruhi and Hikaru. Haruhi was looking down at her lunchbox, and Hikaru was steaming. She beckoned for them. Hikaru's expression turned from anger to surprise as he walked over with Haruhi behind him.

The girls squealed. "You have friends in the Host Club?"

Anna turned to her friends. "The, uh, what?"

"Host Club, silly. Oh, or do you not know about it?" one girl asked.

Anna shrugged and turned to Sophie who sat next to her. I was surprised; I hadn't even seen her.

"Do you know what a Host Club is?" Anna asked her.

Sophie nodded. "It's a club where men entertain ladies. In the same respect, there are Hostess Clubs." She went on and spoke to Anna in English, ending with an eye roll. Something she said must have been funny, because Anna laughed.*

Just then, Hikaru and Haruhi came up behind us.

"Yeah, what do you want?" Hikaru asked.

Anna turned to him with a little frown. "Why're your panties in a bunch, other twin?"

Hikaru balled his fists. His neck veins bulged out as he yelled, "my _name _is _Hikaru!"_

Anna smiled. "I'm Anna. It's nice to meet you."

Tamaki-senpai and Kyoya-senpai walked in at that moment, and the girls flooded around them. Anna scanned the cafeteria, and when neither Tamaki-senpai's father nor grandmother were present, she turned back to her table.

Hikaru and Haruhi sat down by me, and I slipped in, as well. We were quiet as the older girls talked.

"So," one of the girls began, "did Kyoya find you a guy yet?"

Anna hushed them. "Don't be too loud!" she whispered as she looked around the room to see who could have heard.

She didn't notice the president of the newspaper club sitting behind her. He turned a little, just enough to catch my eye. I narrowed my yellow eyes, and he jumped, returning to his food.

"Well?" Sophie asked.

"You're awfully interested," Anna retorted.

"Don't treat me like that. I know you well." Sophie turned her bright blue eyes to me, before putting them right back on Anna. No one noticed.

The lunch bell rang soon, and we returned to our classes.

"Anna-senpai seems really nice, huh, Kaoru?" Haruhi asked.

_Senpai?_ It bothered me. I wondered if I had to call her that, too. "Yeah, she is."

"What do you think, Hikaru?"

Hikaru looked pained to answer."Hm," was all he said.

**--**

It was time to go home, and I waited for Anna.

Hikaru sighed. "I'm going to go without you if you're waiting for _her."_

"Hikaru, you have no reason to dislike her," I scolded gently.

"_Other twin_? Who does she think she is?"

"She doesn't even know your name," I explained. "_Someone _never introduced himself. Not that I'm going to say who," I added flatly. "Hikaru."

Hikaru was silent. I felt sure he was warming up to her, until she appeared.

"Hey, bitches," she said playfully as she walked up. "What the fuck's up?"

"That's so obnoxious!" Hikaru yelled.

"What is?" she asked.

"Your random and stupid use of obscenities!" he answered.

"Why?"

"_Why?" _He didn't answer, as if he were coming up with a reason. "Just because!" He turned to me. "I'm leaving. You can go home with your girlfriend, or wife, or whatever she is to you. Just don't let me see her." He walked down the hallway, and we were silent until he went through the door.

"I'm so sorry, A-" I didn't know what to call her, now. "Anna-senpai?"

She patted my head. "It's not a big deal. It doesn't bother me. At least I know what bothers him."

"I's not the swearing," I tried to explain.

"I know."

I sucked in air. "You know?"

"Yup."

"How do you know?"

"I can just tell. He just doesn't like me because I'm too close to you. He's scared."

We didn't speak, and I was the first to break the short silence. "How do you know that?"

She looked at the door Hikaru had walked through. "The things he says. the way he acts." She turned back to me. "I can just tell."

"What are you going to do?"

Fire burned in her eyes. "I'm going to make him like me, of course!"

I could taste a bad idea coming, but I had to laugh. "And how are you going to do that?"

She tapped her finger to her chin. "What is Hikaru good at? I mean, what does he like a lot?"

I had to think. Hikaru and I were good at a lot of things, but we grew bored of everything so quickly I couldn't think of something we were good at and liked at the same time. Usually we only like the challenge of new things. "He kind of likes basketball."

Anna-senpai jumped. "That's perfect!"

I smiled at her. "Why?"

She grinned. "You'll see, you'll see. Ok, this'll be great. Really great. This will work, I know it will. Oh, and by the way, please don't call me 'senpai' again, ok?"

I nodded. "Gladly."

* * *

*In case this confused anyone, it's implying that Sophie is making fun of the Japanese culture (as a Host Club is an Asian thing, not an American one, which is where the two are from so it is unusual to them) in English, so that Kaoru and the others can not understand her.


	5. Craving Attention

"You want to challenge me to a... basketball game?" Hikaru asked. He watched Anna skeptically as she challenged him.

Anna grinned dumbly. "Yep. And I'll win, too."

Hikaru turned to me. "Are you sure about this, Kaoru?"

I shrugged. "It has nothing to do with me. This was all Anna's idea. She's the one that wants to play against you."

Hikaru breathed out. "Fine, fine. I'll do it. But don't cry when you lose, understood?"

Anna nodded to him. "And the same goes for you." She moved her shoulders in two, quick backward circles, and I felt an uncomfortable vibe rubbing off of her.

Even Hikaru's posture implied his inner hostility towards her. He was bent over slightly, arrogantly, with his head resting on his hand. His usually lively yellow eyes were dulled with annoyance at her very presence. His legs were wide open as he slouched in his chair, trying to hold the disposition of aloofness, hoping the smiling girl in front of him would get the point that he was not at all happy that they were talking. From his frown, I could see that he could not tell Anna knew he disliked her. Because of the conversation between her and I from the day before, I already knew she was well aware.

Hikaru looked about ready to blow, so I grabbed her hand and pulled her away. Her body felt warm, and I pressed the back of my hand to her forehead.

"You're burning up!" I exclaimed.

"N-no, I was just... nervous. I've never challenged anyone before, so I was blushing." She began walking ahead of me. "That's all. Gotta get to class now. Bye!"

**--**

It wasn't until lunch time that Tamaki-senpai pulled me aside, and I learned about Anna's past.

"What is it, Tono?" I asked him.

"How's... how's Anna?" he asked, teary-eyed.

"She's fine. Why?" Then I snorted. "Don't tell me you're jealous!"

Senpai broke into an all-out sob. "It's just that... that she usually only gives me attention, and she hasn't even said 'hello' to me in the halls because she's always with you! Is she mad?"

I giggled. "No, she's not mad."

His eyes dried immediately. I sighed.

Tono turned serious very suddenly. "Kaoru, has she been acting funny?"

"She's a weird person," I said flatly. "She always acts funny." Tamaki-senpai's lips were in a straight line. I didn't understand his worry, but I knew I had to ask. "Why?"

Tamaki-senpai did not answer. He let his head drop, and stood quietly. The sounds of the lunchroom suddenly flooded into my ears as if they had not been there before. People walked by us, and my attention was pulled back into the real world by their distracting movements.

"Why?" I asked again.

Tamaki-senpai refused to answer my questions. I slammed my lunch tray to the table. The plate fell to the ground with a surprisingly loud _crash! _

"That's not fair!" I yelled. "You can't bring something up and then not finish! You can't say something like that and not explain!"

Tamaki-senpai barely moved as he ordered a quiet but stern, "shut up."

I was taken aback by his obvious anger. Still angry myself, I yelled, "why? Just finish!"

"I said, 'shut up'!" he roared in the same low tone.

I quieted as I noticed the silence all around me. The eyes of the cafeteria sunk into me, and I realized exactly what I had done.

Tamaki-senpai looked up, but not at me. He looked across the short aisle and exhaled a little. "Anna," he breathed.

I turned to see her staring at him. Her eyes were sad, but a forced smile spread across her lips. She knew we were talking about her, and I could tell she had a feeling what we were talking about. Rather, what Tamaki-senpai was holding from me. Anna just turned back around to her friends. They asked her something, and she shrugged, her lips flapping a mile a minute as she swiftly changed the subject.

"Don't call so much attention to yourself," Tamaki-senpai told me. "You'll only upset her."

"Why?" I asked, sitting down. I felt defeated. She had seemed so sad, all because I had let my anger get out of control. "What is it? I deserve to know."

"Both she and her mother are very sickly. Recently," he looked up to see if Anna was watching us. When she was not, he continued. "Recently, her only brother died, leaving her as an only child. You know what it's like. When our parents work, a sibling is all you have. I had my mother for a long time, and then I was brought here, to Japan. I had nannies and maids to look after me and to talk to, but Anna is different."

We both looked to her. She was laughing with her friends.

"She needs to talk out her problems," Tamaki-senpai said. "She's bad at finding things out about life on her own. She relied a lot on her brother. His suicide killed her."

I gasped a little. "Suicide?"

Tamaki-senpai nodded. "And when she gets sick, she's really good at hiding it until the last minute. And when she's sad, she'll smile. And then she goes home, and she locks herself up in her room, and there's no one there for her. She tends to blame things on herself and she cries over stupid, little things. And her biggest fault is she plays the victim, always thinking people have it better than she does. She has a lot of self-pity, and she wallows in it. But that's only because she thinks there's no one else to give her any, so she tries to soften all of the blows she takes by crying for herself. Everything bothers her. She has Sophie, but they rarely speak of their personal problems. The two of them have so many of their own." He laughed a little. "She's just a scared kid. But she has grown a lot. She's not so needy as when she was young in France, but she's still a little dangerous. She's very conscious of everything she does. There's no subconscious messages. Everything is for a purpose."

"You say she's sick?" I asked when I thought he had finished.

"Yes. She has epilepsy. It's controlled perfectly, with medicine. But she's prone to fevers, which set off her seizures."

My eyes widened. "Fevers?" I said dumbly. "She felt hot earlier."

"You idiot!" Tamaki-senpai exclaimed. "Why didn't you bring her to the nurse right away?"

"Because she made up some excuse and left for class!" I yelled as I ran to her. I grabbed her head and felt her forehead. It was cooled off.

"You... don't have a fever," I exhaled.

"Told you," she muttered, annoyed with me.

"Sorry," I said sheepishly, and retreated to where Tono was as the bell rang.

**--**

"You don't have to do this," I told Anna as she stretched in the gym.

"Oh, but I do," she told me, a determined look on her face. She stood up straight and swayed a little, but went immediately into another stretch.

"Are you feeling ok?" I asked with a deep, skeptical frown on my face.

"Yup!"

"Did you eat enough?"

"I always do."

This game did not sit right with me. "I don't know if you sh-"

"Ok!" Hikaru yelled as he ran up the court to us. "Who's ready?"

Raising my index finger, as if trying to physically point out that this was a bad idea, I began, "I think you sh-"

Anna squealed.

"What?" Hikaru and I asked.

She turned to me, blushing. She pointed to Hikaru, who moved his head back a little with annoyance. "Do you see how cute Hikaru looks in that uniform?" She made a grumbling noise. "You could look just like that! Wear a sports uniform for me some day!"

My finger fell slowly at her familiar fangirl ways. "You're joking."

Her head twisted like crazy from side to side. "No!"

Hikaru sighed. "Are we gonna play?"

"Yes, please," I heard her whisper. She turned and jogged across the court to get a ball, and I had a strange feeling I had just been played.

The two began to play. Anna was good, for a girl, but not at all quick enough to keep up with Hikaru. She lacked aggressiveness on defense (I saw that coming), but she could dribble well and outsmarted Hikaru a few times, although their cunningness was often matched (which I also saw coming).

As she jumped for a layup, her knees gave out, and she fell onto her shins from midair. She put her hands over her face and curled into a ball.

"Are... are you ok?" Hikaru asked while I rushed over to them.

Tono beat me to it. He pushed Hikaru away and pulled Anna up over his shoulder. I waited for her to fight him to put her down, but I noticed instead she clung to him.

The next thing I knew, we were all in the infirmary. The nurse was speaking with Tamaki-senpai and Kyoya-senpai. Haruhi, Hikaru and I all waited on the couch for them to finish discussing whatever was wrong with Anna. It seemed serious. More serious that I thought it would have been.

Then, Kyoya-senpai walked over to us while Tamaki-senpai went behind the curtain where Anna was laying down.

Kyoya-senpai spoke calmly, as if he was uninterested in the subject. "She just got a little dizzy. It seems she had a fever after all."

"That's impossible! I checked her!"

"She took an Advil, which lowered it. She thought that would be ok, but it still triggered some sympt-"

"Are you _stupid?" _Tono yelled from behind the curtain. "Are you that starved for attention, that needy for someone to ask you 'what's wrong' that you'd put yourself in that kind of danger? That you'd make us worry so much?"

"That's not it, Tamaki!" she sobbed. "I didn't think it would be basketball, but I had to go through with it anyway."

"What?" he asked, outraged. His tone vibrated down the hall, and I knew exactly what she was going to say.

"I wanted Hikaru to like me, that's all. He hates me. I really like Kaoru, and I wanted Hikaru to accept me, too." She took in a few deep breaths and let out a sad cry. Tamaki-senpai hushed her gently, and she continued. "I thought I could play a video game or something. I didn't know he liked basketball so much. I wasn't happy about it, but I was afraid that if I waited, I'd lose the courage to ask him. So I thought, you know, that it would be fine. Even when I had a fever earlier. I thought I could last. I didn't know I was so damn weak that I couldn't even last a while at basketball!"

Hikaru stood up suddenly, his bangs hiding his eyes. "Damn it, she's so annoying!" he growled, and ran over to them.

Anna gasped. "I didn't mean any of that!" she screamed. "I don't even care if you like me!"

"It's ok," Hikaru said gently. "I'm sorry I seemed like such a jerk. I do accept you. I like your drive."

I could hear movement on the bed, and Hikaru yell, "aw, c'mon! Don't hide under the blankets!"

Haruhi and I exchanged glances, and we walked over to them, followed slowly by Kyoya-senpai. Anna was hiding under the blankets, probably embarrassed by her behavior. Hikaru was pulling at them angrily, also probably embarrassed by his behavior.

Tamaki-senpai pushed his hands through his hair. He turned to me. "Good luck with this one," he said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she yelled, popping out of the bed and hitting Hikaru's head with her own.

I sighed, and a small smile turned my lips up. "Can you get up?"

Anna nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. I got some more Advil and something to eat, so I'm better now."

Tono grinned. "Let's all go home, shall we?"


End file.
